Anti-hero
by Minerva Teller of tales
Summary: There's this story that the Karakura populace has passed down for ages about a hero. The story is a load of cock and bull. This place is so damn corrupt. Nobody will save it. Even if someone did rise up, my father would smite him back down. No one man is powerful enough or stupid enough to challenge him. Save for me. Grimmjow X Ichigo, violence, occult
1. Chapter 1

Anti-hero

Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters are (c) Kubo Tite. This is a fanwork. Views expressed herein do not reflect that of SJ or Kubo Tite. Author is not making profit off this story.

* * *

Part I

The Seer

There's this story that the Karakura populace has passed down for ages about a hero. He can see the dead and dying. He can scare away the demons. Even the rich and the leaders know this fairy tale. Monsters and the like have always plagued this place. The corrupt even made deals, sold their souls in exchange for power, riches, and immortality. The people became afraid. cowering and holding out hope for a savior. The story is a load of cock and bull. This place is so damn corrupt. Nobody will save it. even if someone did rise up, my father would smite him back down. The contemptible man that hides behind glass smiles and empty kindnesses has to be the true devil in disguise. No one man is powerful enough or stupid enough to challenge him. Save for me.

* * *

"Grimmjow, there's been another supposed incident with the so-called people's hero."

"There's been lots of talk of this 'hero'. It's bullshit. It's some poser looking for to gain popularity and attention." There was a grimace to his voice as he turned to his blonde attendant.

"I'm afraid not. Even your father has taken and interest. Rumors are powerful things. The people are saying he's a seer."

"Great, another fortune teller. That'll really help against the legion of the dark."

"Not that kind of seer. One that can see the cloud of death and can show souls the way home." The blonde man sighed in exasperation. "Even you know the stories Grimmjow."

"Alright Ilforte. I'll humor you. Tell me all about these rumors that have even my father in a fit." He snarked pinning the man with a smirk

"There's been a lot of demon activity as of late. The people are scared. The first sighting of this seer was a little over a year ago. A young girl was attacked by her dead brother. He appeared and purified the evil."

"Oh? What did he look like? How did he do it?" Grimmjow mocked feigning interest.

Ilforte rolled his eyes. "The girl didn't see how. All she said was that he had kind brown eyes." Grimmjow snorted in response. "The next incident says he banished a demon by touching it. The rest of the reports are mostly about him leading the dead home."

"He sounds like he's just an exorcist." He grumped.

"The last report was concerning a grand-duke demon. I assume this is what caught your father's notice." Hazel eyes dared Grimmjow to make a smartass remark. "I'm sure you felt it the other night. Those are kinda hard to miss. There was a huge shockwave and then the demon just disintegrated."

"Che, I vaguely recall that." Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. "Ilforte, I want to see for myself if this demon slayer exists." He finally stated. "I want to see his power for myself."

"With all the recent attacks, I'm sure it would be fairly easy to catch sight of him." He sighed, "We would have to go into Karakura though. And even if you hate your father, you would need to be in disguise. The people there won't look too kindly on you if they figure out who you are."

"Fine. I'm intrigued. If he's worth it, I'm going to steal him right out from under my father's nose."

Ilforte sighed. Being an attendant to Grimmjow was tiresome. From the time he'd been assigned to him it had been an adventure. He'd grown to respect him and knew that he was cut out to be something great. Even if he'd led a troubled childhood and abhorred his family with every fibre of his being. At eighteen he really hadn't turned out bad, and had been pretty good about hiding his hatred. Ilforte was ever loyal to the boy and had known about his plotting to undermine his father. Even so, there were things Grimmjow did not know about himself and it worried Ilforte that he had been swiftly trying to find ways to go about his plans. He wasn't particularly fond of Grimmjow's ideas toward this hero.

Their trek into Karakura was proving to be interesting. The people existed in fear of monsters and of their monarchy, yet for some reason still carried an odd kindness to them. Thus far they hadn't caught sight of the 'hero' and quite frankly weren't sure what to expect. Watching through the window of the Inn they were staying at Ilforte noticed the same child walking the banks of the river. It had been routine every evening at sundown. The teen would trudge along the edge and stand facing the water for a few moments before moving on. They'd thought it odd that the kid had no fear of the beings that roamed at night. Grimmjow had been starting to doubt the sightings again, passing them off as mere rumors. Ilforte reminded him though that they hadn't had any attacks by which to judge his existence.

The waning crescent seemed to bring them luck. A few moments before midnight there was a deep rumbling. Grimmjow shot out of bed his ears ringing painfully to the high pitched keening. He shook the blonde awake his inner perception picking up the sound of the demon getting closer. He ran outside disoriented but determined to see what would happen. His eyes fell upon the teen and instantly he backtracked.

"You're no real demon! You flow differently!" A voice screamed just barely touched by the signs of manhood.

"You foolish brat. Whether I am man-made or not, I am still every bit as real as you. Such impudence. You will taste divine." I low rumbling voice vibrated the ground.

Grimmjow's eyes widened in disbelief. "That fucking kid? He's their goddamn hero?!"

"What are you talking about? He's going to get himself killed!" Ilforte exclaimed not seeing what had Grimmjow so transfixed.

"NO! I know why he scares demons away. He's a fucking monster himself." Grimmjow snarled "I knew the story was a fucking lie." He laughed out.

He watched as the mandarin haired teen stood defensively waiting for the large demon to make a move. Only Grimmjow could see the faint white aura of a horned man hovering and seeming to originate from the boy. It mimicked his movements like a puppet. The teen raised his right arm in front of his face. The white clawed hand followed. Grimmjow's pupils dilated in the suspense. It was over in a flash. He made a horizontal slash motion with his arm and then there was a shockwave. The demon faded to ash.

"I'll kill you all until you release her soul." He heard the kid mutter.

Suddenly gold eyes shifted in his direction. The piercing stare met his and he felt an odd prickling sensation over his skin. It died down as the gold faded back to a deep coffee-brown. Grimmjow knew he was staring a kid barely a teenager, but the eyes and the tiredness was that of a man that had seen many horrors. They gazed at each other for several moments. Grimmjow could feel his 'awareness' peaking. Before he could say anything though the kid beat him to it.

"I know you were watching. I don't know who you are, but stay the fuck away." His head tilted up and his eyes were scanning the sky for a moment. "You'll die. I'm so fucking tired of seeing people die. The spirits will come to whisk you away. Don't let them. Your first death is not your final death." He closed his eyes as it began to rain. "I've seen you before in my dreams. Just don't let them pull you into the light." He stated one last time before darting off.

Grimmjow was confused at first, angry even, but something touched a chord in him. Ilforte had stood back breathless and startled by the whole conversation. He was an accomplished spiritualist, but even the most skilled would only be able to accomplish a very basic attack. Right before the kid had left he'd finally been able to see the faint image of white horns and long hair billowing in the wind. Ilforte had never seen anything like it. Any lingering doubts about the seer existing were now stamped out. Grimmjow was excited his hands clenching tightly.

"We need him."

"Grimmjow, he's just a kid. You can't take him from his family." Ilforte stated incredulously.

"You think my father will care about that? We need to take him before my father finds out." Grimmjow turned to face his attendant eyes flashing.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't allow that." A voice called out through the rain.

Grimmjow's body tensed. His eyes darted around trying to identify where the sound had come from. A moment later he closed them and exhaled. His body was frozen in a crouch before he suddenly jutted his left arm out and fired off a red energy. It made a crack as it contacted something, but the impending explosion never happened. It was enough though to be able to see a figure standing in the rain.

"Ara, there's no need for such dangerous spells." another blonde became fully visible in the rain. "Come with me son of Aizen and I will explain a few things to you.

Grimmjow stared at the strange man. Smoke was coming from the fan covering his face showing traces of the attack that had just been unleashed. "Who the hell are you?" he finally asked.

"There will be time for introductions later. Right now, your energy is attracting attention. Come with me." He turned leaving no room for argument.

Grimmjow followed urging his attendant to hurry up. The strange man was quick and he was curious about who or what he was. He'd known Karakura to have mediums and spiritualists like Ilforte, but had never expected what he'd witnessed. First the kid and then this weirdo who knew exactly who he was. Eventually they came to a stop in front of a humble looking tea shop. The stranger beckoned them inside before following after. Grimmjow's sense instantly peaked. He could feel four other presences clearly, plus another faintly. The scent of the different teas calmed him just slightly, but the low thrum of energy kept him on edge even when he was asked to sit.

"So son of Aizen, what business do you have in Karakura?" He asked while tapping his cane on the floor. A young girl emerged a moment later and bowed to the blonde. "Dragon's breath my dear. We have a medium in our midst."

"Do not call me son of Aizen. My name is Grimmjow Jaegerjaques." He growled. "Now who the fuck are you?"

"I'm a shopkeeper that specializes in teas. You may call me Urahara." His eyes glinted dangerously from under his hat and Grimmjow knew in an instant he was dealing with someone very powerful. "Now then, allow me to set your stories straight about young Ichigo. But first, tell me what you saw." He tilted his head waiting for a response.

"The kid's a fucking monster. The horns, the eyes, I can see why demons run from him." Grimmjow grinned.

"Interesting. What you saw is only a fraction of Ichigo's spirit. Most people are overwhelmed by his power and pass out before they can see what he does. I'm surprised you could stand it. His body however is too weak to handle his whole spirit right now. Too young. I have limiters on him so he doesn't burn out. You must be strong indeed."

"I can answer that for you." Ilforte piped up. "Grimmjow was gifted with 'awareness'. He can feel and sense demons before they appear. He also knows monster speak."

"Ha! That explains that beautiful cero you lobbed at me." Urahara laughed behind his fan. "Gifted indeed. Very few people can use monster speak. There are in fact only a few ways known. The first is to be born with it, like yourself and my dear Ichi. The only other way is to survive an attack with a grand monster. Even then it's rare that the ability transfers."

"Oi, hat and clogs..." a young voice called.

Grimmjow's skin prickled again. He could feel the energy and knew without a doubt it was the teen. It was invigorating and he had to hold himself in his seat. He could feel it come closer. THe door slid open with a slam and once again he was face to face with the brown-eyed kid. His scowl deepened obviously not welcoming nor pleased to see the visitors.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked with a clipped tone. Energy clashed and for a moment it was just the two of them in a challenging stare-down.

Urahara broke the tension. "Come now Ichigo, take a seat." he suggested jovially. "Let me introduce you to my guests." He waited as if daring the boy to refuse. "Kurosaki Ichigo, I'd like you to meet Grimmjow Jaegerjaques and his attendant Ilforte Grantz." He grinned when the blonde started at his name being said.

Ichigo blinked and turned away images of the blue-haired man's death fresh on his mind. He scowled and even when Urahara addressed him he still refused to look at Grimmjow. The conversation and scent of tea faded into the background. For a few seconds he could hear the crackling of his own energy and he knew he was being drawn into his soul. The black faded away to images and eventually his own projection was sitting face to face with the tall, horned man. Moments of silence stretched between them until it started to rain. The horned being stood and walked over to him leaning down until his long hair made a curtain around his body keeping him dry. He looked at the buildings through the rain and saw the stranger- Grimmjow's image in the glass. He was laying in the street arm twisted at an odd angle. His chest was bleeding profusely from a long gash. Ichigo could see himself staring down at the carnage. There was an apparition standing over the body. A familiar he figured. Grimmjow was probably unaware that his soul was tied to a guardian beast. Blue eyes opened peering at him with intent. Ichigo didn't want to see anymore.

"GO AWAY!" he screamed.

Suddenly he was back in Urahara's tea room curious eyes on him. The shopkeeper tilted his head already understanding what had happened. Ichigo raised his head and was instantly staring into Grimmjow's questioning blue eyes. He jumped up and bolted from the room with no words. Ilforte frowned in concern for the teen and turned to ask.

"Did Ichigo say anything to you before?" Urahara asked, his friendliness replaced by seriousness.

"Something about my first death isn't my final death." Grimmjow frowned and crossed his arms. "Also said something about seeing me in a dream."

"Hmm, perhaps your death has an important impact on something in my dear protegé's future." Urahara reached inside his jacket and tossed at small sphere at Grimmjow. "I am curious as to what end. Take that."

"What is this?" He asked shaking the contents around.

"It's a tea charm." Ilforte answered for him. "Tea charms are infused with different magics as a ward against bad luck, or for protection."

"This one is to suppress your presence when you're at rest. YOu have a lot of loose energy flying around. Sooner or later it's bound to attract some unsavory characters. This way, should you need to use Cero again it will control the spiritual residue and you wont get bombarded. Of course if you're out there in the open throwing yourself around, well then I can't help if you become a dinner call. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I need to have some words with my student."

* * *

Grimmjow ventured back into the capital with questions on his mind. A few things had been discussed with the eccentric shop owner, but it still left so many things unanswered. One thing he knew for sure was that his father would eventually try to find the boy. It was funny that the hopes of Karakura rested on the shoulders of a surly teen not that much younger than himself. He thumbed the orb that had been given to him wondering if his energy really did attract demons. He jolted as something in the sphere stabbed him. Upon inspection, there was a decent sized gouge with a bead of blood on it. He brought it to his lips the charm momentarily forgotten. A softly sweet scent filled the room suddenly and the orb began to glow. He held it up and watched how his blood swirled around with the oils and tea leaves. The glow died to a gentle pulsing and he noticed that it was in exact rhythm with is heart beat. It prompted him to search for something to set it in. He rummaged around until he found a strip of leather and a metal ring. He punched holes in the leather enough to force the ring and sphere inside. The ends were cut thinly so he could knot it tightly about his wrist. It was crude, but for the time it would work.

He'd never been one for reading into the types of powers that existed, but not it was the one thing he was thankful his father had forced on their family. He understood a little about how his own energies worked versus mediums and spiritualists. He had full control over his while others needed a vassal. Suddenly something clicked. He bet that was what his father wanted with the 'hero'. A person with great power he could control, or something on which to experiment. He felt sick. Even in his cold heart, he'd never wish those tortures upon another being, much less a child.

His coming days became risky. The urge to test his limits rose and he found himself using his father's synthetic monsters for target practice. At night though, he would sneak out search for demons. It was his way to develop new skills without the prying eyes of his family. Even Ilforte had nod been privy to his expeditions of baiting monsters. Killing them had given him such a rise. As it would happen, he had another encounter with Ichigo. He'd apparently been baiting a demon that the other had been tracking. They'd argued at first Grimmjow angry that the teen was cutting into his fun. It was short lived though when they got attacked. Both were quick to react diving in opposite directions. The demon screamed in frustration causing Ichigo to cover his ears in pain. Grimmjow had been prepared for the noise and had already fired a cero before he too slapped his hands over his own. The blast hadn't been aimed properly, but it still got the beast in the shoulder and sent him down yowling and cursing. Ichigo blinked in mild surprise, but then wasted no time in banishing the creature.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ichigo screamed at the other. "This isn't a game!"

"Shut up brat. You screwed up my training."

"Why do you need to train? You're the patriarch's son. In fact why are you even out here in the first place? Shouldn't you be up there with daddy making the rest of us miserable?"

Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's jacket and dragged him up. "Shut your fucking mouth kid." He hissed. "I want nothing to do with that man and would like nothing better than to see him crushed under my boot." He shoved Ichigo away causing him to trip.

Ichigo stood up and gazed at the blue-haired man. "Why?"

"I want to erase his very existence. I want revenge. I want him to pay for everything he did to my mother, for every experiment he did on me, and for every damn mind game he plays."

Ichigo felt a pain in his chest as he stared at the other. The cloying anger was suffocating and permeated the air around him. This man held enough contempt that it was tangible. He was surprised he hadn't noticed it before. He'd been so caught up in the déjà vu and the glimpse of death though. He swallowed as he tried to think of how to respond. Perhaps he needed to intervene. He hated when he had to lead a soul to the afterlife only to find the hell gate opening. It anguished him. And as arrogant and prideful as this person was, he didn't want that to happen.

"Don't focus on revenge." He finally stated.

"Oh? And why should I listen to some prepubescent brat like you?" He muttered.

"For your information I am thirteen. I shouldn't even be doing this shit. Besides you can't be that much older." He griped.

"I'm eighteen kid. Legal adult. Soon I can smite him from his throne."

"You don't know much about hell do you?" Ichigo asked not expecting an answer. "If you focus on revenge and kill him, when your soul dies I'll be forced to escort you to the hell gate. It's personalized. Hell is the presence of your most feared and hated things over and over again. So don't focus on revenge, just on getting stronger."

"Ain't that a bit hypocritical coming from you?" He snorted. "I'll kill you all until you release her soul. Remember that?"

Ichigo sighed heavily and turned away. "She was... It was because of me. I just want to free her soul from hell. That's why I'm enduring this." He turned to leave not wanting to say more. "Stay out of my way."

As soon as he was out of sight he melted into his soul. The white, horned man was standing waiting for him. His projection trudged forward until it was right in front of the other being. An arm came around him and he leaned toward the man his cheek pressed against a ridged torso. He stayed like that for several minutes just listening to the breathing of the other projection. He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut wishing that he could grow quicker and be stronger like the creature he was resting against. The buildings appeared again and he turned unable to keep himself from seeing the blue eyes fading. Black-clawed fingers covered his eyes, blocking the vision of death.

Grimmjow's pride had been wounded. He'd known that the kid was strong, but it irritated him that he was so much stronger. He raged tearing into the synthetics with his bare hands. He'd planned on snagging the brat when he was older, but if his ideas got blockaded he still wanted to be able to hold his own and kill him should the need arise. As far as he knew his father was still not aware of the teen. He intended to keep it that way. A plus with baiting monsters was that if he was out there training and killing them, it kept the kid from doing so and kept his father in the dark for one night more.

Each night he went out and baited until he was too spent to do more. A few times he pushed himself overboard and ended up having to call Ilforte to come pick him up. It was clear that his attendant did not approve of him going alone, but he spoke nothing of it. Every now and then he'd run into the kid. They'd argue dust a monster and then leave as if nothing had happened. In a way he found himself anticipating meeting the young 'hero'. It gave him something to gauge against and he had to admit the argumentative banter was entertaining. The teen was fun to rile. He became the closest thing to a friend, other than Ilforte, that Grimmjow had.

Aizen had become somewhat aware of Grimmjow's sneaking around however, and had called him in. He'd sat Grimmjow down in the manor's large office and stared him down with a false smile. It had unnerved him and all he wanted to do was punch the man and leave. Eventually the stifling presence had been broken by his Father asking about his outings. Grimmjow had responded tartly that it was merely him killing time and that he was so bored he wanted to destroy something. Aizen had seemed to accept the answer with an offputting smile and dismissed Grimmjow with a very fake 'I love you son'.

* * *

Grimmjow had been pleased that he'd grown exponentially in a short time. His control was in top condition and he'd learned how to quick fire very concentrated bursts of energy. His use of monster speak had become like second nature and the amount of skills he'd learned from it had grown. The kid, Ichigo- he amended had actually been what pushed him harder. Each time they met, argued, and parted he had reminded him of his impending first death. Whatever the cryptic statement pertained to still confused him, but he figured being more in control of his own gifts would help and perhaps even prevent that.

One night as he was about to leave though, something happened that he was ill prepared for. "My poor, foolish son." Grimmjow's back stiffened as soon as he hear the voice. "You've been hiding something from me for a long time. Something that I so very much need."

He turned, his body sinking into a defensive stance as he spotted his father standing in the door way. "What the fuck are you on about old man?" His voice betrayed no sense of fear.

"I have it under good authority that you know and have been even meeting up with this 'hero' the people seem so smitten with." Aizen's smile didn't change.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He snapped eyes narrowing.

"Dear Grimmjow, I do hate being lied to." Grimmjow snorted at his father. "Very well. Since you seem unwilling to talk to me, perhaps you will feel more comfortable speaking with your brothers."

"What?!" He jolted as Aizen swept out of the room and in his place stood his two older siblings. Even with the training, he still wasn't any match for the both. He knew it would be futile to fight them. "Fuck."

Grimmjow was promptly knocked out by the taller of the two. The last he remembered was a teasing sneer before waking up in the synths lab. He tried to moved and noted that his arms were bound behind him and his legs tied to the legs of the chair he was sitting on. He opened his eyes and found himself face to face with the maniacal grin of his brother Nnoitora. As he looked around he noticed the eldest sibling, Ulquiorra sitting on the table across the room. His eyes were on him silently calculating the situation.

"Rise and shiny baby. Pops is mad at you, which means I get to have some fun." Nnoitora leered.

Grimmjow glowered in response. In all truth he disliked his elder siblings. They were only related by Aizen's blood as their mother had mysteriously died years before Grimmjow was even a thought. He figured that she had been subject to some of his father's cruel experiments and had less than positive results. He knew his brothers had been modified while he had not. His genetics had clashed with the experiments enough that Aizen had long given up. It had made for the huge difference in all their energies. One sibling alone, he would have been able to take down at his stage, but he knew he couldn't hold out on the both. He bit his lip trying to figure a way out of his bind. He was regardless intent on not telling anything.

"Grimmjow you should be reasonable in this situation and tell us what father wants to know. I really do not fancy torturing my own family." Ulquiorra addressed him in complete monotony.

"Fuck off." Grimmjow spat.

"Tut tut, baby brother. That's not very nice." The taller man grabbed his hair and yanked hard pulling a tuft out. "Ulqui's trying to be nice." He grinned again and slapped Grimmjow.

"I told you to fuck off." He ground out.

Nnoitora frowned and backed away reaching for one of the weapons on display. "Don't over do it." Ulquiorra stated in mild annoyance.

Grimmjow grunted in pain as a blade was drawn over his shoulder cutting through his shirt in biting into the skin. He refused to speak though. Nnoitora grinned widely with each cut thoroughly enjoying the pain he was inflicting. Grimmjow resisted biting his lips to keep from yelling. Nnoitora used his mods and ran his fingers down Grimmjow's arms burning the flesh. His eyes closed tightly and he thrashed in his binds. Ulquiorra sensing they were getting nowhere stood and walked toward Grimmjow.

"Stop making this difficult." He muttered. "I hate having to use this." He placed his fingers around Grimmjow's eyes forcing the other to look at him.

Grimmjow glared while staring in to sad green eyes. He was uncomfortable with the proximity of the pale man and unsure of what was about to happen. Suddenly pain seemed to radiate from behind his eyes. He felt as if his thoughts were being forcefully pulled from his head. He jolted and trembled unable to close his eyes. The clanking of his tea charm against the back of the chair brought a moment of clarity. He was unsure if it would work, but it was his only shot. He writhed in pain forcing the charm to hit against the chair as hard as possible. He hoped the eccentric shop owner was right about his energy drawing demons. He heard it shatter. The sound of glass breaking drew Ulquiorra's attention and he removed his hands from Grimmjow's face. His eyes widened in surprise at the high pitched screaming he could suddenly hear. Grimmjow panted thanking whatever entity for the distraction.

"what the fuck is going on? Why are monsters in here?" Nnoitora snapped.

Grimmjow laughed despite his pain. "What is it Nnoi? Scared of some real monsters? They're different than the little shits dad makes."

"The fuck did you do?" Grimmjow was yanked up by his hair the chair getting lifted off the floor.

"Nothing. Just heard monsters like my energy so I let them know where I was."

"You little shit!" The taller man screamed.

"Leave him Nnoitora. I found out enough." Ulquiorra's deadly calm voice left no room for argument. "You called them here, you can deal with them."

"Fuck! Fuck!"

Grimmjow twisted his hand enough that he could fire off energy. It flung him chair and all into the opposite wall. The chair busted upon impact allowing him to at least stand even if his arms were still bound. Monsters flooded the room before Ulquiorra and Nnoitora could escape. Grimmjow rushed at them pushing out the doorway while they were distracted. He had to get out and tell the shop keeper to get the kid out of town. Creatures and his brothers hot on his trail, he kept running irritated that he had no use of his arms. He stumbled as he felt shockwaves and clumsily tried to use his monster-speak to move faster. His brothers dispatched beasts as they tried to get to him. Nnoitora was filled with a rage and just itching to let it fly on the younger man. His legs burned weakened by pain. Finally he made it outside the manor and to the street. A demon was on him instantly. He reared back and head butted it causing himself to see stars, but allowed him to get free. He ran trying to remember how to get back to Karakura. Monsters eventually stopped chasing him, his energy wearing down. Ulquiorra however, had not. He tripped once more this time falling to the ground with a grunt. He landed on his left arm causing the shoulder to get popped out of place.

"I don't know why father put up with you. You're nothing but trash." Ulquiorra had finally caught up with him and kicked him over on to his back. "Whatever it was that you were trying to do was pointless." His hand curled as if gripping a sword. "Disappear." he mumbled and brought his arm down in a slashing motion.

Though nothing was visible he could clearly feel the bite of the blade slicing into his torso. His head became fuzzy with the blood quickly seeping out of the gaping wound. His vision blurred watching the pale man turn and walk away. Several moments he lay laboring to breath. He closed his eyes feeling his skin prickle. He guessed there were still hungry monsters out. Something shifted next to him and he cracked his eyes open again barely able to make out a sleek white cat nuzzling his side. It mewled pathetically before climbing on top of him and laying down. At least he wasn't going to die alone he figured. He closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath.

"I told you not to let them lead you into the light." He could hear the surly teenager's voice. "Wake up asshole."

Grimmjow's eyelids felt so heavy, but he fought to push them up. The kid was standing over him scowling. His image was blurry. "Shut...up..." he managed to cough out.

"That's a pretty nasty gash. If you can peel your ass off the street then it's going to leave a scar." Ichigo sat down next to him not caring that his pant legs were getting soaked in blood.

"Run away brat... Aizen knows about you now." He muttered between labored breaths.

"You have a knife on you?" He asked ignoring Grimmjow's warning.

"What..?" When Ichigo didn't repeat the question he nodded slightly. "Right pocket."

He could feel the small hand dig in his pocket to retrieve the weapon. The heat from the proximity of the teen's body felt good to his rapidly cooling skin. His eyes focused just a bit when he heard it click open. Ichigo pressed the small blade against his left hand and squeezed before sliding the knife out quickly. Grimmjow heard the hiss of pain and wondered what the kid was doing. Something hot dripped across his chest causing a slight stinging. He tried to lift his head. Ichigo's cut hand was squeezed into a tight fist as he dripped blood over the wound.

"I shouldn't be doing that. Tampering with your energy. It should ensure that you're able to walk away from this, it won't be enough to heal you though." Grimmjow's skin felt like it was trying to knit itself back together. "When you're able to move again find the Kurosaki Clinic and ask for Inoue Orihime." Ichigo stood up and picked the cat up that had been laying on Grimmjow's stomach. "I'm taking him with me for safe keeping."

"What are you talking about?" Grimmjow groaned.

"Somebody up there gave you a guardian. Right now your energies are sealed in him until you get strong enough to use them. I'm going to take care of him until you overcome death." He could see a little clearer how Ichigo's brown eyes bore into his. "You better survive. I had another dream about you and I am curious if it's true."

"Wait... what the hell?" Grimmjow coughed.

"We'll see eachother later, Grimmjow." With that being said the teen ran off.

* * *

A/N: So I got inspiration for another fic and since I'm nearing the end of Verloren, I figured I'd start on this. I wanted to do something that kind of paralleled some of the occult elements that bleach deals with, but also some fantasy and other things. I know it's confusing right now so let me give you some notes.

First off this is going to be a GrimmIchi fic. It will NOT be shota.

Ichigo starts off 13 years old in this fic while Grimm is 18. Ulquiorra and Nnoitora are 28 and 25 respectively. They are Grimmjow's older half siblings. They share a mother from Aizen's first wife while Grimmjow's mother was Aizen's second wife. Both of them have been modified to mimic monster skills and awareness. Grimmjow's genetics are a bit different and reacted badly with the modifications so he does not have them. I will explain that in later chapters. It's a kind of important plot element.

Speaking of Monster-speak, this is the ability to use demon energy and monster skills. It's based on a comprehension of archaic monster language and being either a descendant of a monster/demon or being compatible with their energy when attacked.

As I mentioned both Ichigo and Grimmjow have this ability. This is also an important plot element that will be explained later.

Seer vs. awareness- Seers can see spirits and pretty much anything tied to the occult. The can see images of those people who are about to die and can also lead lost souls home. Their dreams are often prophetic and they tend to have a great deal of spiritual energy. Awareness is a family skill. It refers to being able to see, hear, and speak with monsters/demons.

I'll explain more things like mediums and Urahara's tea charms next chapter. As well as Grimmjow's guardian. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it and stick with me to see Grimmjow and Ichigo's relationship develop. Thanks for reading!


	2. Time

Anti-Hero

Part II

Time

Grimmjow groaned as he woke up. Pain shot through his entire body and he got a rush of memories from the previous night. He touched his chest and found it tightly bound with bandages. He grunted as he felt some stickiness from them. He grimaced and sat up. His eyes darted around the small, unfamiliar place and he scoffed. A sharp pain in his chest reminded him he had been near death.

"Stupid kid. He could have at least untied my wrists" His wrists were bandaged, but he could still feel the sting of raw skin beneath.

The door opened and his eyes shot to the young girl coming in with supplies to change his bandages. "Oh!" She exclaimed nearly dropping her burden. "You're awake much quicker than I expected."

"Where the fuck am I?" He growled clutching his chest in the discomfort.

"You're at the Kurosaki Clinic. You asked for me right as you passed out at the door."She pursed he lips and blinked. "Are you a friend of Ichigo?"

"Hah, friend." he muttered while narrowing his eyes. "Brat found me bleeding my guts out in the streets. Hardly think that makes us friends." He replied.

"Well no, but he's one of the only people who knows I'm here, so he must respect or trust you in some way." She blinked in confusion.

"I-no-ue!" A jovial voice called before a loud crashing was heard followed by a grunt. "Ow! Karin doesn't have to kick daddy! What a mean thing our daughter is becoming!"

"Oh, doctor Kurosaki must be done with his patients."

Grimmjow grimaced at the loud bawling and rolled his eyes wondering what kind of crazy-house he was at. He clicked his teeth and stared at the wall while the Inoue girl changed his wrappings and cleaned his wounds. He chanced a look at her and assessed that she was probably about the same age as the young 'hero'. He could feel a small ripple of spirit, but he couldn't tell if it came from her, or the noisy person outside the door. He sighed in exasperation as a dark haired man made a loud entrance into the room.

"Oh my darling Orihime! You've done such a wonderful job taking care of our guest." He exclaimed while spinning the girl around. "Please step outside for a moment while I take a look. I'll let you know when it's safe to come back in." He set her down and smiled.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and huffed. Once the girl was out of the room though the happy demeanor changed. Dark eyes were drawing over him, examining and making him feel uncomfortable. He scowled showing his distaste for the judging look. After what seemed like forever, the dark-haired man spoke again.

"I know who you are son of Aizen."

"Don't fucking call me that. If you know who I am then use my name." He growled out.

"Tell me how you knew of this place and to come here looking for miss orihime." He asked giving a hard look.

"That kid- Ichigo did something to me. He found me in the street after a fight with my brothers. Did something that made my chest burn and told me to come here and find her." Grimmjow spat while crossing his arms over his chest.

The doctor seemed to absorb this for a moment. "This next question is of utmost importance. It will determine whether I let her back in here to heal you or not." Grimmjow gave him a pointed look. "How is it that you know Ichigo and what do you want with my son?"

Grimmjow tensed his eyes narrowing. "A chance meeting. trying to keep my father's grubby hands off more power and I come upon that monster." Grimmjow retorted. "I ain't blind. I can see that ghost he's got coming off him."

"Surely you aren't doing it out of the good of your heart." He state skeptically.

Grimmjow snorted. "Heh, gotta have a heart for that. Kid said something about my first death. Fuck, he's a seer. Said he had dreams about me and my death and pretty much told me to stay alive."

Dark eyes widened. "You said he burned your chest?" The doctor needed to be sure of what he heard.

"I dunno what he did. I was kinda lying there between life and death. He dropped liquid on my chest and it started to burn. It was blurry, but he asked for my knife."Grimmjow shrugged. "I went out and then next thing I knew I was walking again."

"Oh this is very bad." the elder Kurosaki covered his chin with his hand as if thinking. He looked up when he caught the angry, confused glare. "Ichigo is self healing. Part of his 'soul' properties. Blood healing is a very old and uncommonly used method to heal a person. He was taught it just in case. Problem is, you are now tied to him. Every single ache, pain, and pleasure you feel will be amplified ten times to him."

Grimmjow was at a loss. This kid who for all he knew could have hated his guts, had used a dangerous method to ensure he survived. A method that would knowingly cause him pain. Thoughts of why flooded his head. The kid had said he was tired of seeing people die. He'd also said something about wanting to see if his dreams had been true. The elder Kurosaki was addressing him again.

"You're lucky that this isn't a two way street. Only he can feel what happens to you, not the other way around."

"So even now, can he feel this pain?" Grimmjow asked with a frown.

"Probably." The other man shrugged. "Though because you are drugged, I'm not sure if he can feel all the pain though."

Grimmjow was silent for a moment his mind working. Something clicked into place though. "What happens if I bite it?"

"The bond is severed. Your wounds can't physically cause him to die, but I'm sure it can cause some dangerous mental problems.

Urahara frowned at his young charge. He was rubbing his chest repeatedly and grunting in pain. There hadn't been any wounds though. The stray cat he'd picked up was seating comfortably in his lap, but as soon as anyone got close it would arch and hiss aggressively. He was curious, the teen had disappeared and then later returned his clothes covered in blood, with a stray animal, and phantom pains. He fanned himself thoughtfully then grinned.

"Show me your hands Ichigo." He stated with a smile.

"What?" His student seemed confused.

"Your hands. Now. You've done something reckless and I need to know what." He made a grabbing motion with his fingers.

Ichigo sighed and held both his hands out. "I don't know what you're looking for sandal-hat. There's nothing there."

"WRONG!" The blonde chuckled. "Ichigo, I didn't teach you that to use it recklessly. You aren't strong enough, rather your power isn't stable enough yet. You could have hurt yourself or even killed him. You're lucky he's strong." Urahara tapped the teen with his fan.

"How did you know who it was?" he asked but then sighed. "It doesn't matter. It's done and it's a decision I further support and will deal with." Ichigo shrugged then winced. "I just need to know if my premonition is true."

"And what will you do if it's not? It's an awful big risk to take." He stated seriously.

"Then it was my mistake to make." Ichigo flopped back beckoning the cat to lay down with him. "I wonder why you aren't hostile towards me."

"The familiar can probably either smell him or see traces of Grimmjow's energy on you." Urahara sighed. "My what a handful you've turned out to be." He smiled and chuckled. "And here I thought life was getting boring."

"Um... mister Kisuke?" A timid voice peeped up. "There's a violently angry man at the door."

The blonde grinned at the small girl then turned his head toward his student. "Looks like your friend found his way back over here." He tilted his head. "Go ahead and bring them in Ururu."

The blue-haired man busted in through the door trailed very closely by Ichigo's father. "Sorry Kisuke." The elder kurosaki murmured sheepishly. "He insisted it was important."

"Oh my, Isshin. What a surprise!" He beamed with a tone that suggested that it was indeed not a surprise.

Grimmjow panted and grabbed his bandaged chest trying to calm his aggravated pulse. "The fuck is wrong with you kid!?" he shouted. "You don't even know me!"

"Will you shut up?" Ichigo moaned also grabbing his chest. "Why the hell hasn't Inoue healed you yet?" he snapped sitting up abruptly.

"She's on her way here now Ichigo. Mr. Jeagerjaques was adamant that he tell Kisuke something."

"Might I suggest we all calm down. Miss Orihime can heal this hellion when she gets here. In the meantime he can say his bit. I'm curious as to what was so dire that he felt the need to worsen his wounds." Urahara remarked with a knowing look.

Grimmjow took a seat across from the shop keeper obviously displeased with the barb. He eyed Ichigo warily taking note of the cat sitting in his lap. Blue eyes peered at him as if he was being judged. It made him uncomfortable to be under that kind of scrutiny twice in one day. Everything faded into the background and he could almost make out a deep rumbling voice. THe sounds of the blonde asking the girl to fetch tea for everyone even seemed to disappear. He snapped to attention again when Ichigo addressed him.

"What are you doing here anyway idiot?" Ichigo asked scowling at Grimmjow.

He broke his eyes away from the cat and up to the teen's. "Aizen knows about you kid." He finally grumbled.

"Oh, that is serious." Urahara stated though sounding completely lackadaisical.

"ARe you fucking stupid? He knows what you look like and what you're capable of!" He screamed out in frustration. "And he'll use it to his advantage."

"And I'm sure you didn't just come here out of the goodness of your heart. I seem to recall something about taking Ichigo away." Urahara grinned.

"It's revenge."

Everyone in the room turned toward Ichigo. The teen was staring at Grimmjow, but it was like he wasn't seeing him. His eyes were deep and haunted. Urahara recognized that look instantly. Ichigo's visions always seemed to come at inopportune times. He'd stop suddenly and it was as if he was focusing very hard on one thing and speaking to it. His head tilted to the side and he raised his hand up to look through the fingers. It was like he saw something entrancing on the other side.

"I've never seen myself kill a person before." He stated suddenly.

"Let's keep it that way." his father responded immediately.

Ichigo shifted his eyes to his father. "Too bad it can't stay like that. It'll happen eventually." He dropped his hand and looked at Grimmjow. "I bet you'd have no problem killing. In fact, I bet you've already done it." He smirked.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow suddenly thinking the kid was crazy despite his assessment being true. "yeah. I ain't going to hide that. I'd kill that fucker again if I had to." He sneered.

"I didn't mind walking him to the hell gate." Ichigo commented cryptically.

Moments after Ichigo's reverie Inoue had arrived. Urahara had instructed her on what to do concerning Grimmjow. She'd obeyed despite being nervous around the intimidating man. Silently she worked on him aware of the odd tension in the room as the others decided what to do about Grimmjow and the situation involving Aizen. Ichigo was glaring uncomfortably while shifting his gaze around the room. He looked as if he didn't want to be there in the least. In fact, to Grimmjow, it looked like how Aizen's little experiments looked after being taken off whatever drug he used on them. He was twitching very slightly and rubbing his arms. He was pretty sure that was not the case though. Grimmjow sighed when he realized what was going on. The teen could feel the wounds being healing and it was causing an itching sensation in his skin. Ichigo breathed deeply and tightened his fingers into a fist.

"Girl, will you hurry up. Whatever you're doing is making it itch." Grimmjow stated firmly while tearing his eyes away from Ichigo.

She nodded and apologized while keeping her head down. Urahara stopped fanning himself for a moment and a toothy grin spread across his lips. Perhaps this son of Aizen had a gentle heart under all the growling. Or maybe related in some way to Ichigo. The blonde had been well aware of some of the experiments that the Patriarchy had been doing. If memory served him right, Grimmjow would be the sixth child in the family. At least that anyone knew of. Rumors of Aizen having sired many children for his experiments were pretty widely circled in the underground. His first-born son had disappeared mysteriously. His eldest daughter was in a coma from an accident. Grimmjow and his three elder siblings were the only ones that were ever seen in public, but the younger daughter even less so. He figured he could bide his time and take on the hot-head, but he had a better idea.

"I'm going to send him to stay with Yoruichi." He decided finally.

Ichigo widened his eyes and pointed. "ARE YOU NUTS?"

"Why would you ever ask such a thing? Of course I am!" He chuckled earning a glare. "But in all honesty, it's the best solution. Young Jeagerjaques doesn't have use of his monster skill at the moment because of his near fatal injuries, and I'm sure once Aizen finds out he survived, he'll be looking for him."

"Who is this Yoruichi?" He asked warily.

"It's his crazy wife." Ichigo interrupted sullenly. "She's a witch."

"She is the foremost authority on monster speak and familiars. Her home is very well hidden also, so no one will be able to find you while she's getting you all trained up." He nodded in a sagely manner while Ichigo covered his face.

"Wait. Isn't this girly here healing me? You mean my skills won't just come back?" Grimmjow growled.

"Tell me about your mother Grimmjow. I'm sure that this was her doing." Urahara tilted his head.

"It's none of your fucking business." He grumbled.

"Hmmm, perhaps not. She will need to know though. It will be the only way to get your abilities back." He shrugged.

Isshin stepped into the conversation sensing the malcontent. "What he means is that for women who are raised in as witches, it's common for them to use animals as guardians over their children or possessions."

Ichigo sighed loudly drawing the attention away from Grimmjow. The man was getting frustrated and because of what he'd done it was bleeding over into the teen. He cast a glare at everyone in the room and then upped and left. Urahara laughed gleefully already completely entertained with the idea of his young student being even more irritable. Grimmjow turned his attention back to the blonde once Ichigo had left. He was angry at the turn of events and had a number of questions.

"Why don't you go find Ichigo to answer them?" Urahara dismissed. "I need to make arrangements with my lovely wife to come get you."

Grimmjow glowered, but left the room in search of the other. He breathed deeply to see if he could at least still feel things out. Fortunately his awareness hadn't been dampened by his injuries. His skin prickled as soon as he sensed the other outside the shop. He followed and came upon the sight of the kid staring out into nothing completely unmoving. He looked tired. It sadly reminded him of his mother. She'd always been strong until Aizen had started in on her with the experiments. It had made her sick and worn. It set an ache in him. Ichigo was strong still, but he looked way more tired than a teenager should. And his statement about Grimmjow killing had been said so easily it was unnerving.

"That guy you killed had it coming." The ginger finally said. "That's the first dream I had about you."

"Oh?" Grimmjow questioned not wanting to sound too curious.

"Yea, I mean, it wasn't completely representational. It was more the color of your energy versus his. The he was dead and I saw the younger you." Ichigo shrugged but kept facing forward. "I've seen you kill people that deserve it. It's more than revenge for your mother. I think it's deeper seated than that."

"So what if it is?" Grimmjow shoved his hands in his pockets. "I hate my father. I'll be happy when he's dead and all those that answer to him."

Ichigo sighed and turned to the other. He could feel every bit of the hate rolling off the man. As before his presence was stifling. The most recent dream came flooding back to his mind. The blue-haired man was in the form of a beastling. Fangs and claws were bared as if he'd been fighting. He stood tall and proud looking like some kind of monster king. Under his feet had been piles of bone and ash. The symbolism hadn't been lost on Ichigo, and it made him wonder a bit about Grimmjow's heritage. It also made him wonder if the 'king' symbolism in his dream meant that Grimmjow would topple his father's reign and take his place. Several moments of silence passed between them until Grimmjow spoke again.

"I want you to tell me why it's so important to you that I live." He started.

Ichigo shrugged. "Premonitions I suppose. Though I can't really make sense of them."

"You 'saved' me off a hunch?" Grimmjow looked incredulous. "Is it something that's supposedly important? Because I've got better things to do than pitter around here with your maybes and what ifs." He snapped.

"It has something to do with your power! That's all I can tell you right now." Ichigo shouted back. "You're such an ass. I save your life and even risk my own. You're so damn selfish." Ichigo got up and walked away.

After their failure of a conversation Grimmjow and the stray cat were rounded up. Urahara took him down beneath the shop and opened a door that seemed to lead into a tunnel. He was told to keep up. His mistrust of the blonde was high, but at the time he was stuck. He had a feeling that the shopkeeper was something not completely human. His energy did after all cause his skin to prickle, but not as severe as Ichigo's or that of a monster. It concerned him. As they seemed to reach the edge of the tunnel the prickling turned to a burn. A figure of a woman came into view. When they got closer he took note of her dark skin and hair and then of her inhuman, gold eyes.

"Ah~ Yoruichi my love!" The blonde made an overt call of affection for the shapely woman.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and followed behind with an annoyed huff. "Great, this is exactly what I wanted."

"Well, well, what have you brought me Kisuke?" She asked hands on her hips.

She stepped forward and eyed Grimmjow curiously. Her eyes were most decidedly the weirdest Grimmjow had ever seen. He'd already deduced that she was not human from the way his skin burned from he presence. The glittering gold irises focused on him seemed to further support that. Her gaze was roving over his body in a way that made him feel naked. The cat that had been following him and Urahara made itself known by rubbing on Grimmjow's legs and purring. That snapped her attention away from his body and to the small, white feline.

"Hello, what's this?" She knelt down watching the cat for a moment. "You're a pretty nifty little trick." She smirked then raised back up to address Urahara. "I'm assuming there's a reason you brought the spawn of an enemy here?"

He nodded. "There is. Young Jeagerjaques is actually up for fighting against Aizen, sadly there was a little accident and he needs to be all fixed up."

"You think this whelp has it in him?" Yoruichi asked with a grin.

"Hey! I'm no sniveling child, woman." Grimmjow scowled.

"You're still a whelp to me. And not just in age." She chuckled knowing it would get a rise out of the irritable young man. "Now, whether you want to or not, you're going to have to answer my questions."

Grimmjow grumbled, but nodded his assent. The she demon lead them into her house and to a small sitting room. Once they were all arranged around the low table, the cat jumped into Grimmjow's lap. Its eyes were on the dark woman as if evaluating if she was a threat or not. It began to purr when Grimmjow's hand came down against its back in a repetitive stroke.

"So, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. I need to know about your heritage a little bit. Tell me about your family." She leaned forward, golden eyes boring into him.

"There's not much I can tell you. I only know my mother and then a little stuff on that bastard Aizen's side." He shrugged.

"Start with what you know about your mother first." Urahara suggested.

"Not much to tell. I know she was really young when she married my father." He spat. "Probably separated her from her family. She was a green witch. That much I know at least."

"Hmmmm... A fairly talented one at that." Yoruichi commented. "Probably what attracted Aizen to her in the first place."

"If it hadn't been for her, I would have never learned about the abilities that I have. He had no intention of telling me about them." Grimmjow leaned forward placing his elbows onto the table. The cat mewled and nudged his chin with its nose. "She always seemed like she loved him, but he was always so fake to her. I hate him. Those damn experiments."

"Experiments?" Urahara asked with a curious glint in his eye.

"Yea stupid-hat. I'm sure you noticed the monsters roaming around aren't all real ones." He growled in contempt. "After I was born he started doing some sick shit."

Yoruichi frowned thoughtfully. "Okay. I think I have enough to work with. You don't have to go into detail."

The cat seemed to have sensed Grimmjow's steadily darkening mood and was rubbing its whole head against his jaw. Surprisingly enough it didn't irritate him. He leaned back again and brought one of his hands up to resume stroking its white repetitive motion seemed to calm him even the slightest bit. It purred in response but still kept eyes on Yoruichi. She looked back as if she was communicating with the animal.

"Starting today Grimmjow, you are under my instruction." She grinned and met his eyes. "So first, why don't we give your familiar at name? He is yours after all."

Grimmjow looked down at the cat questioningly. "Should I give you a name?" He paused and scrunched his eyebrows together as the cat looked back up at him seeming to clearly understand the question. He turned back to Yoruichi. "He says he doesn't need a name."

Yoruichi tilted her head and Urahara raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that so?"

"He says his name is Pantera and he would have no other title." Grimmjow stated blandly.

"Oh, well you're further along than I expected." Urahara was back to smiling as he spoke.

"Yes, if he doesn't fulfill whatever purpose Ichi kept him alive for, then he most certainly will be of use to me." She grinned eerily at Grimmjow making him frown. "Come, let us see what else your Pantera has to say." She stood and beckoned him to follow.

* * *

Grimmjow thumbed the new charm Urahara had given him. He'd been told that while training with Yoruichi, he'd pretty much be separate from other contact. The charm would allow him to communicate his thoughts to others. He'd been every bit right about the seclusion. It had been a while since he'd been with the crazy, demon woman and he'd only been allowed to speak with her, Pantera, and the two children that attended the house. Idly his thoughts wandered to how he ended up in his current predicament. Instantly Ichigo was on his mind. He wondered how the brat was faring. Pantera jumped up on the bed and flopped down on his chest. The familiar purred but interrupted his thoughts with his own.

_You know you're my heir. I've told you this before. You need to focus_.

Grimmjow stroked the cat's ears with his free hand. He knew he needed to get better. He still couldn't harness the familiar's power properly. He indeed had gotten some of his skill back, but most of it still lay locked within the cat's body. He was frustrated. Yoruichi was indeed helping his physical skill and trying to figure out how to unseal the abilities, but it seemed almost as if Pantera wasn't willing to let them out. His hand stilled as he yawned, tired from his strenuous training. He sighed as he dozed off to the rumbling of Pantera's purring.

_You think too loudly you know that?_

The familiar voice bled into his dreams and roused him. Or he thought he was awake momentarily. The room was still the same, but with the added presence of the teenager. He sat up causing Pantera to jump to the floor. Ichigo sat in the portal of the balcony door. His appearance was different though. His body was more built and less whispy. Still that of a developing young man, but more mature. His hair was longer, the shaggy length hitting just below his shoulders. Grimmjow paused in his study wondering truly how long he'd been with Yoruichi. His concept of time was off. His confusion must have been evident because Ichigo was peering at him with a small smirk.

"Time flows a bit differently here. Slower." He tilted his head. "It's been two years in the real world. I'm not sure of the exact conversion, but maybe you've only been there for a few months her time."

Grimmjow snorted. "Hff, explains why I'm so damn tired all the time. She's got extra hours in the day to wear me out."

Ichigo chuckled, but said nothing else, instead turning his head to look at the stars. Grimmjow frowned at the revelation about the time. It definitely went against all his plans for his father- for Aizen. Pantera had told him to stop referring to the man in familiar terms. Ichigo seemed to sense his unease and tilted his head enough to see him from the corner of his eye.

"He hasn't done anything yet, if that's what you're wondering. As of now still thinks you're dead. Or at least nobody has been out looking for you."

Grimmjow blinked at that then wondered about something else. "Is this what you currently look like or is this just me dreaming all this crap up? And if I'm not dreaming, how and why are you here?"

"I guess you're kind of dreaming. I mean it's really happening, but inside your mind. As for how I look, I'm just a projection of what you think to match my voice. Tell me what I look like and I'll tell you if you're right."

Grimmjow shrugged while studying Ichigo. "I guess you look taller and stronger. Hair's longer, but..." he drew off not really knowing what else to say.

"I guess it's close enough." Ichigo turned to him again finally. "Remember ol' sandal-hat gave you a new charm. Must be why you're talking to me now. I mean, I'm awake and I'm guessing you're asleep. At least it feels like you are. Your energy is at a very dull roar."

"He said it was my only means of communication. Guess the fact that I ain't exactly on the same plane has something to do with that." Grimmjow reached his hand out and beckoned Pantera over again. "If we can communicate both ways and time flows differently then I'm going to have to fucking ask something and pay you back later." He groused.

Ochre eyes blinking curiously. "Pay me back? For what?" he asked incredulously.

"You already saved my damned life. And I am NOT in the habit of having debts. But I need to know what's going on there. Chances are that Aizen will not lay low for long. man's tricky."

"Ah. I gotcha. Then I guess that means that you better get off your lazy ass and get to work." The teen jibed with a smirk.

"Shut it brat." Grimmjow grumbled a flash of disappointment and embarrassment working over him at being unable to unlock Pantera.

"Hey, maybe you're going about it all wrong." Ichigo suggested. "Maybe you need to release in here before you can physically."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" He retorted a bit peeved. "I can't exactly go into my head with miss crazy breathing down my neck."

"I can't exactly teach you how. Our energies are too different. And quite honestly I have a terrible amount of control." he shrugged.

"That's a load of bullshit. I saw that thing floating behind you before. I saw that precision blast." Grimmjow growled.

Ichigo tapped his ear pointing to the set of helix rings pierced through the cartilage. "These are the limiters that sandal-hat made me. They help keep me from blowing shit up. I've got too much spiritual energy bouncing around. Until I'm strong enough, I have to wear them or it causes big messes." he sighed. "It's gotten better. I mean, I can do certain things as if they were second nature, but I still tend to over do it."

Suddenly the room started to shake. "What? How is that even possible?" Grimmjow muttered his eyes darting around.

"Must be time for you to wake up. So, get your lazy ass up!"

That was the last thing he heard before his eyes shot open and he was met with two faces. One screwed up in irritation and the other stuck in an eternally sad expression. He jumped at their proximity and shoved them away. The girl's lip curled into more of a pout, but she bowed her head and left. The boy on the other hand scowled and then loudly called for Yoruichi. Grimmjow yawned and felt his jaw pop. His body felt like he'd been asleep too long. His legs felt stiff and his head was pounding.

"I didn't know you were able to do that." Yoruichi had somehow materialized in his room and was standing over him with a smirk. "Going into your spiritual core isn't widely taught y'know. Though you've been out for way longer than normal." She smacked her palm. "I bet you were talking to Pantera!"

"No..." he responded blearily. "I mean yeah, Pan was there, but I was talking to Ichigo."

"Hooo?" She tilted her head . "I wonder how in the world that little brat was able to talk to you for that long." She shook her head. " To do that while going about his every day routine sure takes a whole lot of concentration."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"ah, it's been two days there. Ichigo is training non-stop. When at school he's trying to manipulate his energy, he does battle training with Kisuke after that, guides the dead, and then trains mentally as he sleeps. It's a wonder he was able to hold a conversation on with you."

Grimmjow awoke fully at that. He suddenly felt very insufficient. "Train me." He growled out.

"I think, we're going to start training you to go into your core without making you pass out. I think We might be able to accomplish something better there."

Yoruichi beckoned Ururu and Jinta into the room and spoke softly with them. Both nodded and sat down on either sides of Grimmjow's bed their hands formed into pyramids. Yoruichi then stepped over Grimmjow and laid down right beside him with her feet pointing toward his pillow.

"Give me your hand. I'll be your anchor to this world so that I can pull you out when we're done."

* * *

Ichigo had been surprised when he'd heard Grimmjow's voice. He'd been in class when he'd heard the deep timbre in the back of his mind. He faded into his core for just a second to hear a bit better. Once he realized what had happened he adjusted and stayed partially anchored inward, but not enough to impede his routine. He'd held up the conversation for a long time. There'd been long pauses and he'd supposed to Grimmjow they didn't feel that way. The man was mostly calm speaking to him this way. He found that he enjoyed the mental conversation. When he trained with Urahara, the blonde had grinned knowingly and had commented on his lack of attention. Aside from small twinges of pain and minor headaches, he hadn't really had much contact with Grimmjow since he'd gone to Yoruichi's. He was curious as to what the inside of Grimmjow's soul looked like. He was sure it was very different than the small glimpse he had. Either he was staring off into white sands and black skies or looking at Grimmjow surrounded by nothing but white.

It had been a few days since that first lengthy conversation with Grimmjow and he was beginning to wonder if the other had connected with him via a fluke. The spark of loud words rumbled in the back of his mind while he was out tracking a monster. He sighed smiled that Grimmjow hadn't learned how to soften his were like surround sound in Ichigo's core. He sent a mental barb back just as he stumbled upon the beast. As he dodged an attack he could hear Grimmjow yelling at him for an answer to whatever was asked. He stayed quiet for a moment even after he'd dusted the monster. It was out of character, but he actually got some entertainment in riling the the man up. He'd figured that out pretty quickly in their last conversation.

Eventually he wandered off to a more secluded area and let himself fall completely into his mental conversation with the older man. Grimmjow was grouching about being ignored and how bored he was. Eventually he calmed down though and explained about Yoruichi helping him to dive and speak with Pantera. Ichigo then wondered if he could dive into Grimmjow's core, not just be a voice and glimpses. It made sense in his mind since the blood healing had pretty much connected them. He sighed and took a deep breath curiosity making him want to try.

"Hey Grimmjow, I want to try something so make sure you stay connected."

"What?" came the gruff answer.

Slowly Ichigo exhaled and let himself fall deeper into his core. He centered himself on the mental response that the other had given and reached towards it. Shapes began to form and then colors filled them. Next thing he knew, he was laying on a wood floor staring at the ceiling. He could feel Grimmjow's energy much clearer. He raised his hand up and curled his fingers then sat up and looked around. Grimmjow was staring at him with suspiciously narrowed eyes. Ichigo grinned suddenly and turned to fully face the man.

"I didn't know if I could dive that deep." Ochre eyes took in Grimmjow's appearance. His hair was askew and he looked to be in just a pair of lounge pants. Pantera was sitting in his lap with calm comprehension. "You're different." He commented while letting his gaze linger.

"What the fuck did you do?" Grimmjow asked with apprehension. He was studying the projection as if trying to assess if it was really the teenage brat he'd been talking to.

"I was just curious if I could jump into your core. Seems like I can." He shrugged. "Though, doing this means I can only be in here for a little bit of time. My body is vulnerable this way." He tilted his head. "I wonder if I can project in here. It might be nice to have someone to spar with on this plane."

Grimmjow's ears perked. "You mean if you can, I'll be able to train?"

"I don't know. If I can, like I said it'll probably be only a few moments at a time. It's already making me feel tired. I'll have to ask sandal-hat."

"Wait, is this what your really look like now?" He asked eyeing the long tangerine hair. "You're not a runt anymore." He chuckled.

"Yea, more or less." Ichigo answered with a frown. "If you're going to act like that I'm not going to try to help."

The projection suddenly faded and he couldn't see or hear Ichigo anymore. "Oi- brat. Where'd you go?"

For a few minutes all that Grimmjow could hear was Pantera's low purring and his own breathing. He cussed and was about to pull himself out when he heard the teen's voice again much more faintly.

"Uh- that didn't work very well. I'll ask sandal-hat about it tomorrow. That burned way too much energy. Sorry Grimmjow. We'll continue this later."

His core went silent again, but then Pantera addressed him.

_ If he can figure out how to dive like monsters do then it can be to your benefit._

Grimmjow nodded secretly pleased that Pantera seemed just as anxious for him to get back up to his full potential. "we'll just have to see what that brat is capable of."

* * *

a/n: Okay so i tried to get this updated in time for Ichigo's birthday, but I failed. Thanks to those of you who read and reviewed. I know this is slow starting/going. I promise though that once I get things established that there will be all kinds of Grimm/Ichi. Again, this WILL NOT be shota. This chapter was obviously very Grimmjow-centric. So a few notes to continue the knowledge about the world I've created.

time passage- I wanted to do something different than most 'you live out a year in one day' kind of things. I tried to think of how a demon might age so slowly and figured that time passed at a snail's pace in their realm while it races on Earth. Yoruichi is a demon duchess masquerading as a human witch, so to speak so her little realm exists outside of Earth's laws of time and space.

Orihime- plays a role in this later. Ichigo saved her life a while back and made her take his room at the clinic when he started living with Kisuke to handle his powers. She is a medium using spirits for healing. Her healing has to be channeled through a being. (this is a reference to her actual ability in the show)

Urahara- He's actually not human despite what the general consensus about is. He makes charms and is incredibly skilled in matters concerning supernatural elements. I thought that using tea would be different and symbolic. Tea is used for fortune telling, healing, energy, and all kinds of other things. Thought I just throw a bit of magic into it.

Blood healing- This refers to the rapid healing that Ichigo's hollow had. His soul has rapid healing in this fic and if he was left without the inhibitors, it would do much more damage to him to get hurt and heal so quickly. He uses his ability kind of amateurishly when he heals Grimmjow. The literal dropping of blood on the open wound bonded their souls together. In actuality he could have just used his spirit to heal the other, but he doesn't have that kind of control.

Pantera- grimmjow's familiar that has been pretty much shadowing him secretly until he was wounded. He's actually communicating things from one of Grimmjow's predecessors which as you can guess is a high ranking monster.


End file.
